Flying-machine.



Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 1.

W. STEVENS.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1910.

SHINOTON D. c.

RQMMW COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0..\vA

W. STEVENS.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1910.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO WASHlNGTON, n. c.

HELHUNHU l IUO w H re im sue UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM STEVENS, 015' LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EARLE REMINGTON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

Application filed April 25, 1910. Serial No. 557,598.

The invention relates more particularly to flying machines of the monoplane type, in contradistinction from the multiplane type which involves the use of a plurality of superposed planes or surfaces, the word plane as used herein being intended for such construction as will cover both flat or -plane and curved surfaces, or both aeroplanes and aerocurves.

The invention has for its object to provide a flying machine of the general character recited which will be superior in point of positiveness and s eed of operation, facility of control, sta ility or equilibrium, and general efficiency.

In carrying out the invention I provide a main frame or body adjacent to the forward end of which are disposed jointly and relatively movable supporting planes and propulsion means for driving the entire machine; and adjacent to the rearward end of which frame or body are disposed afixed supporting plane and a vertical rudder, together with an operators seat which is located wit-h particular reference to the center of supporting efiiciency of the fixed plane. Controlling means or operating means for the forward movable lateral planes extend from the operators seat forwardly to said With the above and other objects in view, and the above and equivalent means capable of ultilization in carrying the same into effect and practice, the invention consists in the novel provision, construction, formation, combination, association and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as herein described, shown in the drawings, and finally pointed out in claims.

The running gear or alighting gear constituting part of the invention is claimed in an application for Letters Patent filed by me Oct. 26, 1910, Serial Number 589,226, for flying machines.

The invention in its broad aspects is the subject of an application for Letters Patent filed by me August 14, 1909, Serial No. 512,921, for flying machines.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a flying machine constructed in accordance with the invention, the same being partly broken away for clearness of illustration; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the rearward portion of the same, parts being broken away for clearness of illustration; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same, taken upon the line 33, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the appended arrows, parts being omitted and broken away for clearness of illustration; Fig. 4 is a top plan view upon an enlarged scale of the forward part of the flying machine, parts being broken away and omitted for clearness of illustration; Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same, taken upon the line 55, Fig. 4, and looking in the direction of the appended arrows, parts being omitted and other parts being added for clearness and fullness of illustration; Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view thereof, upon an enlarged scale, taken upon the line 66, Figs. 5 and 1 and looking in the direction of the appended arrows; Fig. 7 is a similar view, upon an enlarged scale, taken upon the line 77, Fig. 5, and looking in the direction of the appended arrows, parts being added for fullness of illustration; and, Fig. 8 is an isometric view of detail features of construction shown in the other figures.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same reference characters.

Referring with particularity to the drawings, the improved flying machine therein shown as embodying the invention comprises a main frame or body A provided at its forward end portion with propulsion means B and with oppositely projecting lateral movable planes, C and D respectively; said main frame or body A being provided at its rearward end portion with a fixed horizontal plane d, a vertical rudder C and an operators seat E. From the operators seat controlling or operating means F extend forwardly to the lateral movable supporting planes C and D, the relative angularities of which and the angularity of each of which with relation to the longitudinal axis of thevframe or body A said con trolling means F determine through means G for jointly and relatively moving the planes O and D.

H designates running gear with which the frame or body A is provided, the same comprising a forward wheeled support H and a rearward wheeled support H The propulsion means B are actuated by a suitable motor Z) mounted upon the frame or body A rearward of the propeller B which is dis posed forwardly of the entire frame or body and connected with the motor by a rearwardly ranging drive shaft B The wheeled support H of the running gear H comprises depending arms 9 with which a wheel 10 is connected and sustained in braced relation; and the forward wheeled support H of the running gear H comprises spaced depending arms 11 pivotally connected at their upper ends, as at 12, with the main frame A, and pivotally connected at their lower ends, as at 13, with a transverse wheel shaft 14 upon the ends of which are mounted the wheels 15. A supplemental frame member 16 depends from the frame member A above the wheeled shaft 14; and tension means M extend between said frame member 16 and the shaft 14. Similar tensional means N extend between the shaft 14 and the main frame A. The tension means M comprise contractile coil springs 17 tied at their ends to the end portions of the shaft 14 and to the frame member 16; and the tensional means N comprise similar coil springs 18 tied at their ends to the ends of the shaft 14 and to the main frame A.

The wheeled support H because of the above construction and connection of parts, is capable of buckling or yielding laterally, under tensional opposition, so that the wheels may operatively bear uponthe earth evenif the flying machine is in a condition of disturbed lateral stability or descends, so to speak, upon an uneven keel. The main frame A is built up of rods or tubes 19, of any preferred form and construction, the same ranging longitudinally of the frame and being connected and braced in entirety by trusses 20 extending transversely of the main frame and maintaining a general polygonal transverse formation or grouping; said rods or tubes being brought together at their forward ends, as at 21, to accommodate a bearing or thrust block 22 for the drive shaft B and being distorted rearwardly to accommodate the operator of the machine who takes his place in the seat E which is connected with said rods or bars. The steering means C comprise two rear vertical rudders, 23 and 24 which are hinged to the main frame A, as at 25, being maintained in parallel relation by a connecting link 26 which is pivotally joined with the outer end portions thereof; and steering cords or tiller ropes 27 are connected at their outer ends with the outer end portions of the respective rudders and crossed diagonally and guided forwardly to a centrally pivoted foot-operated tiller 28 mounted within the frame A in position to be oscillated by the feetof the operator so as to jointly swing the rudders in either lateral direction.

The fixed rearward plane cl is substantially horizontally disposed beneath the frame A extending laterally thereof at each side to a predetermined extent, and being rigidly connected therewith, as at 29, or so connected as to be normally maintained in fixed position with relation to the main frame. The point or line of connection, as at 29, transverse of the plane (Z, is preferably forward of the transverse center of the plane, and the operators seat E is disposed above said plane (Z at a point or in a position corresponding with that portion of the plane 0?, which has the highest supporting efiiciency.

The operating means or controlling means F for the means G for both relatively and jointly moving the forward planes C and D, comprise two hand wheels, 30 and 31, the former of which is utilized for jointly moving the planes C and D, the other being utilized for relatively moving the same. The hand wheel 31 is mounted upon the inner end of an elongated sleeve 32 which loosely surrounds an inner tube 33 upon which is mounted the hand wheel 30; and said sleeve 32 is rotatably mounted in a tubular bearing 34 having a universal joint connection 35 with the main frame A.

Each of the forward movable planes C and D is mounted to oscillate in a vertical path, the frame-work thereof including a transverse rod or spar 36 which is jointed, as at 37, to a short shaft 38 rotatably mounted in a sleeve 39 journaled, as at 40, upon one of the main frame members 19. Within the means G for relatively and jointly moving the planes 0 and D are included spaced arms 41 the inner ends of which are formed to slip over the inner ends of the respective sleeves 39, being keyed thereto and to the respective shafts 38 therein, as at 42. And

HEHUWHU l IUO spaced link arms 43 are likewise included in said means G, the same having inner tubular heads 44 loosely surrounding the inner ends of the respective shafts 38 and fitting loosely within the inner ends of the arms 41 which loosely surround the same, as at 45.

The outer ends of the link arms 43 are provided with annular heads 46 which embrace circular bearings 47 upon a bearing block 48 through which the sleeve 32 and the inner tube 33 are extended at their forward ends, and within which bearing block said sleeve and said tube are rotatably mounted, the latter within the former. The means G comprise two members, G and G of which the former acts through the agency of the hand wheel 31 and the sleeve 32 to relatively move the planes G and D, and the latter acts through the hand wheel 30 and the tube 33 to jointly move the planes C and D; and said means G and G jointly include the bearing block 48 and two stop brackets, a lower and an upper, g and 9 respectively, the former of which is bolted in connection with the bearing block 48, as at 49, and the latter of which is bolted in connection with the bearing block 48, as at 50. The stop brackets g and 9 project forwardly from the inner portions thereof which are bolted to the bearing block 48, in spaced cheeks, 52 and 53 respectively, below and above the sleeve 32 and the tube 33 therein, and terminate in opposed substantially semicircular heads, 54 and 55 respectively, which lie in a plane at right angles to the line of extension of the sleeve 32 and tube 33, meeting at their adjacent outer edge portions, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, where they are jointly cut away, as at 56, to form a bearing for the sleeve 32 which terminates at the forward faces of the heads 54 and 55; the tube 33 extending forwardly thereof and carrying loosely, by an annular hub 57, an annular shell 58 the free edge portion of which bears against the heads 54 and 55, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The shell 58 is held in place upon the tube 33 by an end nut 59. The stop bracket g is provided with spaced respectively rearwardly and forwardly projecting stops, 60 and 61, carried by the head 54 and at opposite sides thereof with respect to the vertical center thereof. And the stop bracket 9 is provided with a stop 62 projecting forwardly from the head 55 thereof and at the same side of the vertical center thereof as is the stop 61 upon the head 54.

Coming now to the further specific organization of the means G for relatively moving the planes C and D, the same comprise an annular shell 63 loosely surrounding the sleeve 32, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and facing at its free edge the heads 54 and 55 of the stop brackets g and g respectively; said shell being provided with internal teeth 65 extending but part way around the inner circumference thereof. Keyed to the sleeve 32 within the shell 63 is an eccentric cam 66 upon which is loosely mounted a gear head 67 provided with depending fingers 68 which embrace the stop 60; the teeth of said gear head 67 meshing with the internal teeth 65 of the shell 63; said shell 63 carrying oppositely directed arms 69 constituting jointly a centrally mounted beam lever having the shell 63 as a hub; the arms 69 embracing loosely at their outer ends, as at 70, the outer ends of the arms 41 respectively; and when the beam lever so constituted is oscillated, the arms 41 are oppositely moved to oppositely swing the planes C and D in the bearings 40 upon the main frame A.

Coming now to the further specific organization of the means G for jointly moving the planes C and D, the same comprise an eccentric cam 71 keyed to the tube 33 within the shell 58, said cam 71 playing within a gear head 72 meshing with internal gear teeth 73 formed within the shell 58; and said gear head being provided with a laterally directed finger 74 projecting between the stops 61 and 62. The shell 58 is provided with an exteriorly laterally directed arm 74 having a universal joint connection, as at 75, with a link arm 76 which has a universal joint connection, as at 77, at its lower end, with the main frame A; and when the cam 71 is turned by the tube 33 the shell 58 is turned and the entire means G, including the bearing block 48 and the connected stop brackets g and g and the outer ends of the sleeve 32 and the tube 33, are swung upwardly or downwardly as the case may be, causing the two arms 41 to rise or fall, as the case may be, jointly and similarly oscillating the planes C and D. A stop frame P, comprising side plates 78 connected with the link arms 43, and transverse stop loops, 7 9, extending both above and below the sleeve 32, is provided for limiting the joint upward and downward movements of the arms 41, and the corresponding joint movements of the planes C and D.

The operation, method of use and advantages of the improved flying machine constituting the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the following statement:The elongated frame or body A carries at one end, over the point of highest supporting efficiency of the fixed plane (Z, the weight of the operator, and at the other end, the forward end, the weight of the propulsion means B and the main planes C and D and the means G for moving the same jointly by the means G and relatively by the means G The weight of the running gear H is approximately equally distributed longitu-- v v aw v dinally of the machine. When starting movement of the flying machine, the movable planes C and D are maintained in substantially horizontal position, through the controlling means F and the means G for moving the planes. After sufiicient forward movement of the machine has been accomplished, to insure sustentation in the air, the hand wheel 30 is turned in the proper direction to so turn the tube 38 as to turn the shell 58 and cause the elevation of the means G and of the forward ends of the arms 41 which latter cause the inclination rearwardly of the planes C and D, causing the air to so impinge upon both said planes as to elevate the forward end of the machine and initiate flight. In flight, the machine is sustained in the air by the reaction of the air upon both of the movable planes C and D and the fixed rearward plane 03, the load being substantially equally apportioned between such forward planes and such rearward plane, as above stated. To maintain lateral stability or transverse equilibrium of the flying machine, the hand wheel 31 of the controlling means F is operated to turn the sleeve 32 which in turn operates the cam 66 and the gear head 67 so as to rock the arms 69 with the shell 63 as a center or hub, causing relative movement of the arms 41, and the rearward inclination of one of the planes C, accompanied by the forward inclination of the other of said planes, the wheel 31 being turned in the proper direction to cause the ascent of the forward end of the proper arm 41 and the descent of the forward end of the other of said arms. With the planes C and D in any relative positions consequent upon their adjustment, the turning of the hand wheel 30 will cause joint forward or rearward inclination of the same through the means G the operation of which has been specifically described; and with said planes so jointly rearwardly or forwardly inclined through the operation of the means G, the means G may be actuated by the hand wheel 30 to relatively move the planes C and D in the manner above described. Thus the machine may be made to soar or dip, and the lateral stability thereof may be restored or maintained, at all stages of flight. The link arms 43 by their connection with the bearing block 48 with which the stop brackets g and g are con nected, and also by the loose connection of said arms with the shafts 38 of the planes C and. D, act to prevent rotation of the bearing block and its connected parts upon the sleeve 32 as a center.

The alighting means H, due to the yield. ing formation of the forward wheeled support H thereof, permit the machine to adapt itself in its course upon the surface of the earth to varying conditions of stability, or unevenness of running surface, and

also assist the machine to take the earth again on descent from flight, even when such descent is not accompanied by actual stability. The rear wheeled support H may if preferred be organized similarly to the forward wheeled support H The formation of the main frame A, comprising the built-up body having a plurality of longitudinally ranging members 19 connected by trusses or braces 20, insures rigid ity both longitudinally and transversely.

The operator of the machine is enabled from the rearwardly disposed seat E to conveniently note all conditions of operation relating to the propulsion means and the movable forward planes; and the distribution of the load of the machine, over the forward and rearward planes, greatly enhances longitudinal stability.

The entire machine is relatively simple in organization, at the same time being fully equipped for the performance of all the functions necessary to successful flying, and is highly superior in point of convenience and positiveness of control and operation, which adapts it to the widely varying conditions of service to be met with.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the specific provision, construction, combination and organization of parts, members and features shown and described; but reserve the right to vary the same in adapting the improvements to varying conditions of use, without departing from the spirit of the invention and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A flying machine comprising a frame, a movable supporting plane disposed adjacent to one end of said frame, a fixed plane disposed adjacent to the other end of said frame and having less supporting surface than the movable supporting plane, and an operators seat disposed above said fixed plane and over the portion thereof exerting the maximum of supporting efiiciency.

2. A flying machine comprising a longitudinal frame, an adjustable supporting plane disposed adjacent to the forward end of said frame, a fixed plane disposed adjacent to the rearward end of said frame and having less supporting surface than the movable supporting plane, a vertical rudder connected with the rear end of said frame, and an operators seat disposed above said fixed plane and the portion thereof exerting the maximum of supporting efficiency.

3. A flying machine provided with relatively movable planes; and means for relatively moving the same comprising arms projecting from said planes, a hub, arms projecting from said hub and loosely connected with the outer ends of said first named arms, and means within said hub for rotating said hub.

41;. A flying machine provided with relatively movable planes; and means for relatively moving the same comprising arms projecting from said planes, a hub, arms projecting from said hub and loosely connected with the outer ends of said first named arms, and means for rotating said hub; said latter means comprising an operating member upon which said hub is rotatably mounted, said hub being provided with internal teeth, a cam fixed to said operating member, a gear head operated by said caln and co-acting with said internal teeth of said hub, and a fixed stop against which said gear head bears.

5. A flying machine provided with jointly movable planes, and means for ointly moving the same comprising arms projecting from said planes, a stop, an operating member, connections between said operating member and said arms, a cam fixed to said operating member, a shell loosely mounted upon said operating member and provided with internal teeth, a gear head actuated by said cam and co-acting with said internal teeth of said shell, a frame or support, and a universal connection between said frame or support and said shell.

6. A flying machine provided with a frame, jointly and relatively movable planes pivotally connected with said frame and provided with projecting arms, and means for jointly and relatively moving said planes; said latter means comprising inner and outer relatively movable operating members, a bearing block through which said operating members pass, means preventing rotation of said bearing block upon said operating members, an upper stop bracket and a lower stop bracket both connected with said bearing block and each of which is provided with a projecting stop, two hubs or shells respectively and loosely mounted upon said operating members, means actuated respectively by said operating members and respectively co-acting with said stops for rotating said hubs or shells, operative connections between one of said hubs or shells and said first-named arms, and a link connection between the other of said shells and said frame.

7 A flying machine provided with a frame, jointly and relatively movable planes pivotally connected with said frame and provided with projecting arms, and means for jointly and relatively moving said planes; said latter means comprising inner and outer relatively movable operating members, a bearing block through which said operating members pass, means preventing rotation of said bearing block upon said operating members, an upper stop bracket and a lower stop bracket both connected with said bearing block and each of which is provided with a projecting stop, two hubs or shells respectively and loosely mounted upon said operating members, means actuated respectively by said operating members and respectively co-acting with said stops for rotating said hubs or shells, operative connections between one of said hubs or shells and said first-named arms, and a link connection between the other of said shells and said frame; said link connection including a universal joint.

8. A flying machine provided with jointly movable planes; and means for jointly moving the same, comprising arms projecting from the planes, a first member having a stop, a second member, a third member, a frame or support, a universal connection between the frame or support and the third member, and means acting upon the stop through the second member to cause the third member to move said arms.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VILLIAM STEVENS.

Witnesses:

RAYMOND I. BLAKESLEE, B. F. FLETCHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

